Troops' suicides still on the rise

Highland — Her plans thwarted by the chaos of Hurricane Sandy, Lori Arella plowed forward anyway on Sunday to launch an awareness campaign of military suicides.

BY JOHN SULLIVAN

Highland — Her plans thwarted by the chaos of Hurricane Sandy, Lori Arella plowed forward anyway on Sunday to launch an awareness campaign of military suicides.

"I think we've all been reaching this point," Arella said, referring to the growing activism among the military and veterans support groups in addressing the issue.

The number of suicides among active military personnel now exceeds the toll of combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

And sadly, the figure is on course to spike even higher; this year saw one military death per day over its first 155 days, according to U.S. Department of Defense figures obtained by the Associated Press.

The reason for the acceleration is little known, Arella said, but the urgency of the situation has kicked groups such as Arella's Veteran Family Support Alliance into high gear.

The Hudson Valley group of some 150 members is teaming up with Intersections International, a New York City veterans support group, which is training some 20 facilitators to moderate discussions about suicide and other veterans issues for civilians and active and retired soldiers, said Arella, a licensed psychologist and one of the facilitators in training.

Arella said her group hopes to hold such meetings at Dutchess County Community College in Poughkeepsie and Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh in the Hudson Valley by the end of this year.

Plans to kick off the awareness-raising campaign on Sunday on the Walkway Over the Hudson went awry, as Hurricane Sandy-related delays and damage hampered the ability to acquire insurance and high school bands in time, Arella said.

A bugler played taps at noon, but successive band players failed to show, Arella said at about 2 p.m.

Arella and two local high school students stood in the middle of the span on Sunday. The three asked one passerby after another if they would don an armband and take part in a silent vigil for suicide victims among active and retired soldiers.

None accepted the offer — in part because people hold negative associations with armbands, Arella said.

"I think it might not be the best symbol of a nonpolitical protest," she said.

"It's a learning process."

Those interested in helping VETFAMSA's campaign should call 226-4218 or go to vetfamsa.org.